Homeward Bound

In the silence of the night
I heard a voice call out to me
“Be still” it said softly

Following the directions spoken
I laid on my bed eyes closed gently
Listening for the next message to be said

As I laid upon my cushy bed
Visions began to fill my head
“What do they mean?” I timidly asked

Everything I saw moved so fast
Suddenly as if the speed changed pace
I saw a beam of light bright and pure

Looking further I saw the most beautiful face
His eyes were so loving and full of care
His smile alone made life seem perfect and fair

He reached out his hand to bring me near
Strangely I knew I had nothing to fear
Gently taking his hand in my own

He said “fear not child” I will take you home
It seemed in an instant the scenery changed
All of the buildings were rearranged now

I blinked my eyes and saw a majestic site
A building seemed to shine with white glowing light
Slowly I walked to its beautiful wooden door

Turning to Him I asked “can I go in”
He smiled and spoke so eloquently
“You already know the answer my child”

Pushing the door open enough to peak
I could see so many things of beauty
Stepping further inside I am in a state of awe

“Where am I” i whisper to myself quietly
I felt so calm and it was familiar to me
Like a place in a dream my subconscious freed

“My child, fear not you are now home
You were lost before and decided to roam
I waited till your soul was ready to heal”

Update to Earlier Story

When enough people raise their voices, a difference can be made!!

Check out result:

City of Timmins Fails

When you think Canada Day celebrations, most would automatically think of fireworks right!

Well, our crappy City Council in Timmins,Ontario Canada have dropped the ball this year!!

Canada Day is our Ribfest weekend too and they claim they had no sponsors for fireworks this year!! Then when confronted for their stupidity, they try to blame Rotary Club and then claims “ignorance”.

http://www.timminspress.com/2013/06/25/no-fireworks-canada-day
TIMMINS – Timmins residents will have to go elsewhere to see fireworks if they’re intent on celebrating Canada Day with a blast.

There are no organized fireworks displays planned in the City of Timmins for July 1.

“The city is not putting on any fireworks and my understanding is the Rotary Ribfest did not find an adequate sponsor this year” to pay for a fireworks show in connection with their event, said Guy Lamarche, manager of tourism, events and communications for the City of Timmins.

Last year, Timmins Rotary Ribfest concluded on July 1 and that evening there was a fireworks show over Pearl Lake. This year, Ribfest ends on June 30.

Lamarche said the lack of a Canada Day fireworks show in Timmins is not due to the emphasis being placed on the Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival, which will have fireworks for a second-consecutive year.

“Fireworks at the kayak challenge have nothing to do with city sponsorship. It is sponsored by private business,” said Lamarche. “Last year, it was sponsored by the anniversary committee. This year, it is being sponsored by Panels and Pipes.”

Lamarche said Timmins is not alone in providing a quiet celebration for Canada Day, free of fireworks. Many smaller communities no longer host Canada Day celebrations after the federal government cancelled subsidy programs that enabled municipalities to pay for fireworks and hold such events, he said.

“That is unfortunate when you consider the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa and the fact that people living in outside areas can’t enjoy that big spectacle.”

Residents are also reminded that Timmins has a bylaw prohibiting the sale and setting off of fireworks within city limits.

This is our not so bright Mayors response:

City of Timmins

I want to provide residents with some clarity on the fireworks debate. Over the past number of years the Rotary Club coordinated the Canada Day fireworks as part of the overall Rib Fest programming. The fireworks display was done with financial assistance from the City in the amount of $7,500 annually. At the time Rib Fest was held at Gillies Lake where the weather could be unpredictable as it often is for any outdoor event.

After a few years of not so great weather the decision was made to move Rib Fest to the McIntyre Community Centre. With the change in venue the Rotary Club decided to re-direct the City’s contribution towards facility rental and manpower requirements and would now solicit corporate sponsorship to offset the cost of hosting a fireworks display. The Club successfully raised the required funds for a number of years. This year, the Club’s effort to raise adequate funds did not materialize, and so the decision to cancel the fireworks was made. Also this year, Federal Government grants to assist organizations with Canada Day celebrations were no longer available adding to the fundraising hardships that faced the Rotary Club.

From a City perspective had we known all of the above at budget time, Council would have entertained a discussion on the subject of Canada Day fireworks and would have considered the various options that were worth exploring. Finally and just as importantly, timing is everything when booking a licensed fireworks and pyrotechnic specialist, especially for July 1st. Companies specializing in fireworks are not available on short notice.

Going forward and given the circumstances, I can assure you that Council will have a discussion on Canada Day fireworks going forward. In closing I want to thank the Rotary Club for all that it does in our community and especially for the hard work that they put forward to ensure that Rib Fest continues to be a marquee event for the City of Timmins.

Mayor Tom Laughren

Interesting Articles

Some interesting articles:

http://www.inkpunks.com/2011/02/07/writers-toolkit-tarot-cards/
http://raelynbarclay.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/using-tarot-in-writing/
http://www.writersbeat.com/showthread.php?t=23446
http://www.pw.org/magazine?was=/mag/grantsawards.htm?gclid=CN6B5dnShLgCFc9AMgodYwoApQ

Whisperings of Muse

We all have those moments where our “muse” calls to us and sometimes it is at odd moments that we are spoken to.

This very situation occurred last night to me and I am compelled to share the experience with my friends and fans.

I was laying in bed and was trying to fall asleep when I heard a voice (which wasn’t the spirits that I am sure reside in my house nor was it anyone else’s in room) whisper to me. At first, I was a bit unnerved because I didn’t recognize the voice but decided to shut it out.

However, the voice was persistent and unrelenting so I gave in to urge and stilled my mind. Quietly, I asked “what are you trying to tell me?” I waited silently for a few minutes and then heard whispered “butterfly and lily”,
Uncertain of where this was trying to lead me, I asked for clarification.

Then I heard it whisper “draw”, which I found weird because my ability to draw is I can honestly say “nil”. I decided to ask a question to the voice, “Can I trace it?” When I heard a quiet yes, I decided to try to go to sleep and said to myself “tomorrow”.

My plan was to sleep and remember to do it in morning, but for some reason no matter how tired I was I could not get comfortable or fall asleep. I must have starred at ceiling for half an hour and then as pulled by an invisible rope I got out of bed and headed downstairs.

The word “butterfly” and”lily” kept echoing in my head, so I searched my craft room for pencil and paper and headed to computer to find the images that spoke to me. I searched through till something said “stop”, traced them off of screen and shut computer screen off for night.

I was going to leave it and colour it later but something kept nagging me to finish picture. I gathered my markers and pencil crayons and began colouring.

This was end result:

Then after I was done – I heard one last message “wings of hope” so I titled it that. But oddly, I am not sure what else I am suppose to do with picture.

I guess I will set aside until my muse instructs me further!